Rebecca Adler-Nissen honoured for her research in diplomacy

"Rebecca Adler-Nissen has creatively innovated the study of diplomacy through her excellent research, bringing new theoretical vocabularies on stigma, recognition, symbolic power, multilateral negotiations and digitalization into the study of diplomacy."

This is how the award committee begins its motivation for naming Rebecca Adler-Nissen 'Distinguished Scholar' in Diplomatic Studies by the ISA – International Studies Association, the world's leading interdisciplinary association dedicated to understanding international, transnational, and global affairs.

"Her theoretical contributions are always coupled with thorough methodological and empirical tangible observations and close engagement with diplomats, through especially interviews and fieldwork, providing new insights on the everyday life of diplomacy and its transformation. Her scholarship invites both scholars and practitioners to reflect and sometimes even rethink their profession," the award committee continues.

Versatile and innovative researcher

Rebecca Adler-Nissen, Professor at the Department of Political Science and the Copenhagen Center for Social Data Science (SODAS), is grateful for the award, which was presented at the ISA conference in San Francisco on 4 April, 2024.

"It is a tremendous honour for me to receive this award from the absolute leading researchers in my field. I see it as a motivating recognition of our work over many years – with colleagues in Denmark and around the world – to rethink and explore a diplomatic system shaped by global power shifts, multinationalisms and the roll-out of digital technologies," she says.

Nina Græger, Professor and Head of the Department of Political Science, is very pleased that Rebecca Adler-Nissen receives this prestigious award.

"Rebecca has a unique combination of intellectual curiosity, professionalism and generosity that makes her not only a top researcher in her fields, but a colleague and employee who supports and inspires everyone around her, whether PhD students or professors. She has innovated the entire field of diplomatic studies, and this award also emphasises her significant international reach," says Nina Græger and elaborates:

"Combined with her interdisciplinary breadth, this has made Rebecca a sought-after guest speaker at seminars and conferences all over the world. She is also an excellent communicator, both as a teacher and as a participant in the public debate on diplomacy and international politics in general, as well as in conversations with decision-makers here in Denmark’ This is quite simply a very well-deserved award."